WHAT WE DO
Accolades International Tours for the Arts /GTD is internationally renowned for custom designing purposeful tours for churches, schools, families, organizations and other special interest groups to destinations worldwide. Each tour is filled with unique experiences because enriching lives through travel are the words we live by.
HOW WE STARTED
In 1982 Accolades International Tours for the Arts/GTD was founded at a kitchen with a bold yet simple vision: to specialize in group travel and to do it better than any other travel company. Since then sound values, unwavering drive, exceptional creativity and expertise have kept that vision alive.
Our first group was Wayne State University Symphonic Band to China in 1982, the first college music ensemble from the U.S. to tour China since the end of the Cultural Revolution. The Western music was a big hit and created many grassroots conversations. The travelers returned with a broader viewpoint of this once closed country and misunderstood culture, and a desire to have similar exchanges with other cultures. A short time later Accolades began taking groups behind the Iron Curtain. Grassroots meetings with East Germans had a significant impact on the travelers, who returned and shared their life-changing stories. Thus began Accolades` commitment to breaking new ground while enriching lives through travel.
WHO WE ARE Cynthia Jorgenson, Kate Peer and Janet Tollund now share the ownership of Accolades. Their decades of experience along with that of an outstanding team of employees add up to over 250 years of industry expertise. This combined talent places the company in a strong position to continue as leaders and innovators in the area of specialized international travel for arts related groups.
